‘Gladiator’ faces tough test in Japan

Sports

ONE of the prized fighters of PMI Bohol Boxing Stable is heading back to Japan for another tough test.

Gerwin “Gladiator” Asilo will be challenging hometown bet Keita Nakayama in a non-title bout on April 12 in Osaka, Japan.

It will be the second time that Asilo will be campaigning in Japan after he fought and lost to Japanese top fighter Tenshin Nasukawa for the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title in October 2024.

While Nasukawa escaped with unanimous decision win, the Boholano Asilo made heads turn for putting up a gallant stand that paved the way for another opportunity to compete in Japan.

Since that loss to Nasukawa, the 25-year-old Asilo racked up three straight wins that raised his record to 12W-1L, 5KOs.

The 23-year-old Nakayama is one of Japan’s top prospects, kicking off his pro career with three straight wins.

One of those wins came at the expense of a Filipino boxer as Nakayama defeated Ben Ligas via a third-round knockout in August in 2025.(CCM)